Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea 2 Stoke 1: Lampard fires a Frank message to Blues doubters
Frank Lampard celebrates his last-gasp winner over Stoke with Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari
Lampard scored the winning goal on his 400th appearance for the club, whom he captained in the absence of John Terry and led by example with an exhilarating performance.
His last-minute strike, lashed beyond Thomas Sorensen from the edge of the area, was a triumph for perseverance, a message for the youngsters who stitch their names into their boots before they have even kicked a ball for the first team.
Lampard said. ‘I want to be at the level I am for as long as possible. The more I do and the older I get, I want to show that attitude to young kids.
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'A lot of young players need to see that attitude because they don’t realise what it takes to get to the level which the likes of me and John Terry have got to.
'You have to work hard. Chelsea are a great club, but everything is put on for them.’
A succession of managers have paid tribute to his effort, courage and commitment in his seven years at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard was Chelsea's hero on Saturday
On Saturday it was the turn of Luiz Felipe Scolari, buried under an avalanche of bodies when Lampard lashed in his winner.
The Brazilian said: ‘If I ever go back to being an international manager, Lampard is the player I would vote for as the best in the world.’
Lampard is determined that the buck will not stop with themanager. He realises the players could easily have got the boss the sack if they had lost at Southend in the FA Cup or against Stoke on Saturday.
‘I have had a special bond with every manager I have played with,’ he said.
‘It is the same with Scolari. I try and work hard, I try to do what they say and what I can.
'The goal was a release of tension. We are all together, success will come.’
They dominated Stoke, who were still on the verge of a most unlikely victory after Rory Delap clipped the ball beyond Petr Cech in the 60th minute.
Chelsea launched wave upon wave of attacks before substitute Juliano Belletti headed an 88th-minute equaliser and Lampard fired his winner.
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Liam Lawrence looking forward to playing again after a season halted by the Max factor
‘It has killed us,’ said Stoke boss Tony Pulis, who accused Chelsea of feigning injury and flew the flag for those who still bark about the ‘Best of British’.
‘James Beattie goes down just after Amdy Faye has been booked and just jumps up and gets on with it,’ said Pulis.
‘I was born in Britain, where we were told never to show you were hurt and to get up.’
After this, it may be a while before Stoke are back on their feet.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 6; Bosingwa 6 (Belletti 78), Alex 7, Carvalho 6,A Cole 6; Obi 5 (Stoch 82), Lampard 8,Ballack 6; Kalou 5, Anelka 5,Malouda 7 (Di Santo 61, 6).
STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Sorensen 7;Wilkinson 6, Shawcross 7, Abdoulaye Faye 7, Higginbotham 6 (Griffin 34, 6); Delap 7, Whelan 6, Amdy Faye 5 (Pugh 28, 6), Etherington 7(Kitson 84); Cresswell 6, Beattie 6.
Booked: Amdy Faye, Kitson, Whelan.
Man of the match: Frank Lampard.Referee: Peter Walton.
